Piston and connecting rod



July 7, 1936. .1. LIST I 2,046,903

PISTON AND CONNECTING ROD Filed Dec. 31, 1954 z i mz A? +& Q3 I /6 5 4 xM 2 8% I I g INVENTOR. Join? Z 215i.

54,4 zzf ATTORNEY.

I Patented .1936

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 4 PISTON AND CONNECTING non John List, MountPleasant, men. Application December vs1, 19s4,'sei-i 1no.159,s61

70laima.

This invention relates to pistons and connecting rods and the object ofthe invention is to provide a piston and connecting rod in which theconnecting rod is formed with a ball at the upper end fitting in thepiston and arranged so that the piston and connecting rod may have auniversal movement.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting rod having ahollow ball end for lightness and provided with a means for lubricatingthe socket in which the ball is turnable.

Another object of the invention is to provide a connecting rod on whichthe piston may turn to prevent uneven wear on the sides of the pistondue to the thrust oi. the connecting rod.

A further object 01' the invention'is to provide a means for shorteningthe height of the usual internal combustion engine by connecting the,upper end of the connecting rod 'near the top of the piston, thearrangement allowing the crank shaft to bemounted nearer the bottom ofthe cylinder.

These objects and the several novel features or the invention arehereinafter more fully: described and claimed and the preferred term ofconstruction by which these objects are attained is shown in theaccompanying drawing in which'- 3- connected by ribs 4 with the outer orskirt portion 5 oi the piston. The-portion a is provided with asemi-spherical recess in which a semi- 4o'spherical bronze lining 6 iscast'in place; The

' connecting rod isiiormed at the'upper end with an integral hollowball'l and this connecting rod 8 is provided with a thickened portion 9at the center having an oil conduit ll therethrough,

' 45 shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The connecting rod 0 at the lower end isconnected to the crank shaft II in the usual manner as willbe'understood from Fig. l. The piston is provided with'piston rings I!as shown and a nut is threadedinto the per-- 50 tion 3 or the piston tohold the ball end I of the.

connecting rod in place. This nut isiormed from -;two halves i3 and M.The companion faces of the two portions l3 and it are provided withapertures for the dowel pins it which are preterably a press lit in oneof the nut portions and (CL309-6l, Y v y are arranged to be engaged inthe corresponding aperture of the other nut portion to align the two nutportions so that the threads thereon come to aligr'nlnent when the partsare assembled as shown in Fig. 3. These nut port-ions l3 and I4 5 areformed 01 bronze with semi-spherical faces and when threaded into theportion '3 or the piston these taces'acttoholdthe ball end I of theconnecting rod in place and provide a bearin for said ball end. V

The nut portions-l3 and it allow the nut to be assembled about the shankof the connecting rod 8 before being threadedinto place and the nutportions are also provided with an enlarged opening it to allowclearance for the connecting 15 rod. As shown in Fig. 1, an aperture is,provided in the ball I for the steel tube l1 and a recess is provideddiametrically opposite about the oil conduit ill for the lowerend of thetube. This steel tube I1 is a drive fit inthe aperture and the 20 recessin the ball and-the lower end of the oilconduit In is open tothebearingface of the crank shaft II. This arrangement allows. the oilunder pressure to flow upwardly through the oil conduit llland throughthe tube I1 and the 25 oil will pass from the upper end of the tube IIto lubricate the inner surtaceoi the bronze-ball socket. By thearrangement shown, the ball I is. connected close to the top of thepiston so that the maximum angle of the connecting rod will only be, 1325' .as competed .to a 15 30' angle -for the normalwonnectin'g rod shownin Fig. 4. This allows the crank shaft to be set nearer the bottom ofthe cylinder without decreasingthe Stroke/and also reduces the over allheight of engine. Also-with this,arrangement the piston'is freetorevolve on the upper end oi. theconnectingrod so as to prevent thepiston and cylinder .irom wearing out 01' round .due to the thrustimposed by the connecting rod. 40

Also by connecting the connecting rod close to the top of the piston,the over all heightof theengine is tilrther reduced and, at the sametime, the ball socket is properly lubricated to allow the piston tofreely turn on the connecting. rod.

By providing the steel tube II 'in' the hollow ball end 1 of theconnecting rod. the'oil is conducted through the hollow ball end forlubrication and, at the same time. the hollow ball cannot flll with oilto increase its weight. Due to the fact that the ball end I is hollow,the weight of the connecting rod is reduced.

From the foregoing descriptionit becomes evident that the. device isvery simple and ,emcient in operation, will not easily get out or order,is

composed of few parts and is of consequent low manufacturing cost andprovides a device which accomplishes the objects described.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode ofoperation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is- 1. In a piston and connecting rod, a piston providedwith a socket adjacent the upper end thereof, a semi-spherical bronzelining in said socket, a connecting rod having a crank shaft bearing atthe lower end, a hollow ball formed integrally with the upper end of theconnecting rod, the hollow ball seating in the bronze socket lining, theconnecting rod being provided with an oil conduit leading from the crankshaft hearing of the connecting rod to theinterior of the hollow ball, atube fitted tightly intothe hollow ball and extending diametricallytherethrough,

' the tube being open to the oil conduit at one end and being open tothe bronze socket lining at the opposite end and preventing introductionof lubricant into the ball, a threaded nut comprising twosemi-circular-halves, dowel pins carried by said nut halves andconnecting said halves together with the threads in alignment, theassembled nut being threaded into the upper end of the piston and beingprovided with semispherical faces engaging the periphery of said hollowball.

2. In a piston and connecting rod, a piston provided with a socket inthe head thereof, a semi-spherical bronze lining in said socket, aconnecting rod, a hollow ball end formed integrally with the upper endof the connecting rod and seating in the bronze socket lining, theconnecting rod having a lubricant conduit opening to the ball end, saidball end having an aperture diametrically opposite the opening of theconduit thereto, a tube seated in the interior of the ball in alignmentwith the conduit and extending into the said opening at the opposite endthereby sealing the hollow ball to a flow of oil from the conduit, athreaded nut comprising two semi-circular halves, dowel pins carried bysaid nut halves and the nut halves being assembled together about theshank of a connecting rod, the dowel pins connecting the nut halvestogether with the threads thereon in alignment, the assembled nut beingthreaded into the upper end of the piston and being provided withsemispherical faces engaging the ball end of said ccnnecting rod.- o

3. In a piston and connecting rod, a piston provided with a socket, aconnecting rod, a hollow ball end formed integrally with the connectingrod, a tube extending diametrically through the hollow ball end,-theconnecting rod being provided with an oil conduit opening into one endof the tube, the upper end of the tube opening through the periphery ofthe ball, said tube preventing flow of oil into the ball, a nut formedof two halves threaded into the piston, means for connecting the halvesof the nut'to maintain the threads of the respective halves inalignment, the assembled nut being provided with a semi-sphericalportion engaging the hollow ball end and retaining said end andpreventing a flow of oil into the ball in the piston socket.

4. In a piston and connecting rod, a piston provided with a socket, aconnecting rod, a hollow ball formed integrally with the upper end 5 ofthe connecting rod, the hollow ball seating in the socket of the piston,a split nut threaded into the piston and retaining the hollow ball inthe socket, the connecting rod being provided with an oil conduitopening into the hollow ball, 10 a tube extending through the hollowball, the tube aligning with the oil conduit at one end and openingthrough the periphery of the ball at the opposite end and preventing aflow of oil into the ball.

5. In a piston and connecting rod, a piston provided with a socket, aconnecting rod, a hollow ball provided at the upper end of theconnecting rod, the hollow ball seating in the socket of the piston, asplit nut threaded into the piston 20 and retaining the hollow ball inthe socket. the connecting rod being provided with an oil conduitopening into the hollow ball, a tube extending through the hollow ball,the tube aligning with the oil conduit at one end and opening 25 throughthe peripheryof the ball at the opposite end and preventing a flow ofoil into the ball.

6. In a device of the character described, a piston provided with asocket, a connecting rod 30 provided with a hollow ball end seating inthe socket, the connecting rod being provided with an oil conduitopening into the hollow ball, a tube mounted in the hollow ball andopening through the periphery thereof, said tube con- 35 necting withthe oil conduit and preventing passage of oil into the interior of theball.

'7. In a piston and connecting rod construction, a hollow piston havinga cylindrical-wall and a socket in the head formed by inwardly 40extending thin walls spaced from the piston wall, radial webs supportingsaid walls in respect to the cylindrical wall of the piston, thethickness of the wall between the outer face of the head and the socketbeing approximately the 45 same thickness as the socket wall to providefor a'minimum weight of the piston, a connecting rod having a crank endand a hollow ball at the opposite end seating in the socket, aretainring nut for supporting the same seated in the 50 socket, the saidsocket and surface of the ball therein being sealedto the interior ofthe piston, means for lubricating the contacting surfaces of the socketand ball, comprising an oil conduit extending from the crank end of thepiston and opening to the interior of the ball, the ball having anaperture through its wall diametrically opposite the conduit openingtherein, and a tube having its inner end seated in the wall of the ballabout the conduit opening and its opposite end seated in the saidaperture and providing a means for conveying oil from the conduit to thesaid contacting surfaces of the ball and socket and preventing a flow ofoil into the ball thereby 05 maintaining minimum weight.

JOHN LIST.

